Mt. Konocti
Mt. Konocti ( 38.9746N° 122.7659W° ) is a volcano located in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field. It is estimated to have last erupted approximately 10,000 years ago. The US Geological Survey dates Clear Lake to be around 480,000 years old. The soil on Mt. Konocti is very unstable making exploration of the mountains caves to be extremely hazardous. Locals believe that Konocti’s central magma chamber is a vast, empty vertical cavern, partly filled with Clear Lake water and connecting with the lake via an underground seep.
Pomo legend has it that around the year 1818, after a long drought, the level of Clear Lake dropped so low that a previously-unknown cave on the eastern flank of Konocti was exposed. A group of Pomo men entered the cave, and discovered a vast underground lake, containing “eyeless fish”. Repeated attempts by divers to locate this cave have been unsuccessful.
Mt. Konocti has been in private hands for many years. Opportunity now exists to change it’s status. Learn more at PreserveKonocti.org.